


Remembering Oblivio

by Agiani



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27289798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agiani/pseuds/Agiani
Summary: Six beings (four teenagers and two Kwamis) stared at the same photo and wondered. Little did the six beings know that by pondering questions while staring at the same photo at the same time, the magic around the mystique of the "Oblivio kiss" would start to unravel.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea was inspired by another work I saw on FFN. As soon as I see/remember that work, I'll credit it.
> 
> Also, this is a secondary work of mine. Posts will be sporadic, as I'm concentrating on my first story "Confessions of a Teenage Superhero". I promise it will have a conclusion, as reading half-finished stories with no possibility of an update is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.

**Chapter 1**

Six beings (four teenagers and two Kwamis) stared at the same photo and wondered _What happened that caused Ladybug and Chat Noir to have such a passionate kiss at the top of Montparnasse Tower before the Miraculous Cure restored everything?_

Marinette stared at her computer and wondered how she could possibly have kissed her partner like that when her heart irrevocably belonged to Adrien. She didn't want to hurt her partner's feelings.

Adrien figured that if he could get Ladybug to fall in love with him when they'd lost their memories that he could do it again but lamented the fact that he didn't remember the kiss. He looked at the photo on his computer about once a month (week? day?) to dream about that possibility.

Alya and Nino were hanging out in Alya's room. Alya was remembering how excited she was to take the photo in the first place because it seemed that LadyNoir was finally going to be canon. She figured that whatever the reason for Ladybug to reject Chat Noir's advances, there was obviously something there and wondered if a kiss like that would happen again.

Nino was supporting his girlfriend as she spoke about the LadyNoir 'ship and thought the photo looked cute. He wondered what had happened while Ladybug and Chat Noir's memories were gone which would lead to such an intense PDA.

Both Tikki and Plagg figured that at some point the two superheroes had to have detransformed, and knew who both holders were. While it was disconcerting having no memory, especially as a magical being, the two Kwami knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir were meant to be close as that was the yin-yang nature of the two miraculous.

Considering how Marinette was head-over-heels for Adrien, Tikki knew that would have been a factor leading up to the kiss and wondered if they were able to see both sides of each other.

Plagg was just tired of Adrien staring at the photo, whining about his love life, and teased him mercilessly. He wondered how he could help his holder be less oblivious. Or if that was even possible.

Little did the six beings know that by pondering questions while staring at the same photo at the same time, they created a link that would reveal the lost memories. But with magic, as in life, there are always surprises.

* * *

The first incident happened while the four friends were playing video games at Alya's. It was one of those super-rare occasions where Adrien was there in person, having permission to attend the "study session". (They actually did study first.)

Alya and Nino were playing their favorite dancing game while Marinette and Adrien waited for their turn. This particular dance move had the two players practically in each other's arms. Suddenly, they paused, losing their place in the game.

" _Do you think we'll remember all this afterwards?" Nino remembered asking as his black-gloved hand touched the spotted heroine's arm._

" _Apparently, my Miraculous Ladybug reverts everything. So I'm guessing we won't," Alya remembered replying._

" _All right, then. With your permission, Milady," Nino said as he took the spotted heroine in his arms and looked deep into her gorgeous bluebell eyes._

_Alya looked at the face of her partner and found herself closing her eyes and leaning in. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and carried the promise of much more to come. They broke apart reluctantly, and Alya knew what she had to do. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she cried, throwing the ladybug-patterned teapot into the air._

Nino and Alya came to themselves and found they were staring at each other while holding hands, ignoring the game completely. For a moment, they didn't know where they were, confusing the intruding memory with reality.

"Giving up on the game," Adrien teased with a smirk.

"I know you guys are dating, but are you really going to give up the round so easily? Or would you rather go snog in a corner?" Marinette couldn't help but razz her friends.

"That was… " Nino was at a loss for words.

"... weird," said Alya as she shook her head, looking first at her hands and then at her boyfriend's face.

Marinette was concerned by their response. "Ok, guys. What happened?"

"This is going to sound so strange," said Alya, coming over to the couch to sit by her bestie. "I just remembered something, but it wasn't my memory."

"Me too, dudette," piped in Nino.

"What did you remember, Nino," Adrien asked his best bud.

"I remember asking Ladybug for permission to kiss her," he said a little shyly.

"What?" Marinette was shocked. Adrien looked a little pale himself.

"I've never asked Ladybug for a kiss. Ever." He seemed a little distressed as he looked toward Alya. "I think it was Chat Noir's memory."

"That's okay because I think I just remembered Ladybug's memory of the same incident." She looked at her boyfriend. "Chat Noir had asked if the Miraculous Ladybug cure would bring our memories back. I said that I thought so, and then he asked for permission to kiss me. I looked at him, closed my eyes, and felt a rush of passion as we kissed. Then we broke apart, and I threw the Lucky Charm into the air to reset everything. The next thing I knew, I was back here, holding hands with Nino and the round was over."

"Yeah. That's exactly what I remember her saying," a confused Nino said.

"Do.. um, do you rem-remember where you were at the time? In the memory, I m-mean," Marinette stuttered.

Both Alya and Nino thought for a moment. "I'm not 100% sure, but it looked like a rooftop," said Nino.

"I bet it was the top of Montparnasse Tower!" Alya was excited. "You know, that kiss I snapped a photo of after we were freed from being Oblivio? I think I was living that!"

"You know what, babe, I think you're right."

Marinette seemed a little embarrassed. "I still wonder what could have possessed Ladybug to do that when she's been so adamant that Chat Noir is not a romantic interest."

"Who knows," Adrien said with a sigh. If one didn't know better, they'd say he looked wistful. "But whatever it was, I bet Chat Noir hopes it will happen again someday."

"But how could you remember something that you weren't part of?" The higher-pitched voice showed Marinette's stress level.

"Well, we were part of it," said Alya. "Sort of. I mean we _had_ just been freed from being Oblivio."

In Adrien's pocket and Marinette's purse, two powerful, magical beings silently considered the ramifications of what they'd just heard.

* * *

The next incident occurred that same night as Marinette and Adrien were on their way home. They needed to leave at the same time, so it was just the two of them (and their Kwamis). The elevator was a bit older and lurched slightly as the doors closed, causing Adrien to stumble in the far corner and Marinette against the wall.

_Marinette looked at herself. She was dressed in what looked like black leather. Then she looked over at the girl in the elevator. She was dressed in what looked like a red jumpsuit with black spots, and a similarly themed domino mask on her face._

" _Looks like you and I were at the same costume party!" she said._

_Adrien looked at himself and the boy in the corner. He noticed the boy's ring. Pointing at it, he asked, "Why is that flashing?"_

_Marinette looked at her ring, then at the girl's jewelry. "And your earrings, too! We must shop at the same jewelry store!"_

_Adrien was confused. "Are we supposed to know each other?"_

_Marinette was just as confused. "I'd be surprised if we weren't."_

_The beeping from the ring and earrings got faster. Suddenly the lipstick near Adrien disappeared, as did the costumes. Even stranger, two creatures flew out of the jewelry. Adrien was scared and scooted over to the boy in the corner._

" _Aaah! There are giant bugs! Mice? Bug-mice!"_

_Tikki lifted up her black head. "Wow, I am starving right now!"_

_Marinette thought the creatures were cool and slid over to the one that came out of her ring. "Hi, there! What are you, exactly? Genies, like the one in the lamp?"_

" _If I'm a genie," replied Tikki, "where is my lamp? Besides, where am I? And who are you!"_

_Adrien slid behind the boy again, seeking comfort. He pointed at the red bug-mouse creature. "What's that thing doing in my earring?" he asked._

" _I'm not a thing," Plagg replied indignantly in his high pitched voice. "I'm …" He gasped. "I don't know what I am!" His stomach gave an embarrassing rumble. "But I do know I'm very hungry."_

_At this, Adrien's natural sympathy kicked in, and he picked up the red creature. "Aw, poor little … no thing," he said as he ticked the creature's tummy. Plagg giggled._

The two teens stumbled a little.

"Whoa! What was that?"

"The elevator lurched," said Marinette. "And then…"

Adrien looked over at his friend. "Did you see something?"

"Yeah. I was trapped in an elevator with no memory. I looked over and saw m… Ladybug."

"Same here. But I saw Chat Noir in the corner." Adrien seemed really confused. If he was looking at himself in the corner, then did that mean he had Ladybug's memory? It must because he remembered picking up Tikki. And looking at himself pick up Plagg.

_What in the hell is going on?_ both teens thought simultaneously.

* * *

When she got home, Marinette rushed straight to her bedroom to have a heart-to-heart with her Kwami.

"Tikki, tonight was definitely weird! Did you hear what Alya and Nino said? And then in the elevator on the way home… I think I was remembering Chat Noir's memory."

"It happened to me, too, though I was Plagg in the memory."

"Any idea why it's happening?"

"Maybe, though I'm not sure. I'll need to talk with Plagg about it."

* * *

As soon as Adrien was left alone in his room, Plagg raided the stash of Camembert (as per usual).

"Plagg, do you know why Nino and Alya would be remembering Ladybug's and my memories? Also, why would I remember something that happened to Ladybug?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. But it's happening to me, too. I remember Ladybug tickling my tummy, and I sounded like Sugarcube. And I remember craving sweets. Blech!" He downed a piece of his precious cheese. "Let me think about it a bit. I'll also need to speak with Sugarcube."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School the next day... and the third incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, I'm not dead. As I mentioned in the most recent Author's Note on my main story (Confessions of a Teenage Superhero, chapter 22), I had a really bad case of writer's block. That combined with the COVID-19 pandemic (no, I didn't get the virus) and the Holidays has made the last 6 weeks ... interesting.
> 
> Once again, I don't own anything "Miraculous: Ladybug..." related. Just the original plot points in this story, which is done out of a love of the show. All rights remain with their respective holders.

**Chapter 2**

While he would normally just wait until his holder was back in school to see her, this seemed too important to wait. The black, cat-like embodiment of destruction flew through the air as quickly, quietly, and stealthily as he could, heading to the Guardian's home. He needed to see his Sugarcube and let her know about what happened earlier in the day. To his surprise, about halfway there he spotted his red-and-black counterpart heading his direction.

"Sugarcube! I was coming to see you."

"And I needed to see you, Stinky Sock. Since you're out here I'm guessing that you also started remembering things?"

"Yeah. I was in the memory, but it wasn't my memory. I was you being tickled by your holder." Plagg made a face.

"I remember the same thing, but from your point of view. Your holder asked if I was a genie and I said that if that was true then where was my lamp," Tikki said.

"And I was indignant being called a bug mouse, and surprised when I didn't know what I was." Plagg was concerned. "Could this be what happened when we fought that Oblivio Akuma? It sounds like a repressed memory coming back, but mixed up."

"I think you're right, Plagg. It almost sounds like a mental or spiritual bond has been created and it's interfering with the magic barrier suppressing those lost memories."

"Why would the magic mix up who gets to see those memories, though?"

"I don't know, Plagg, but we're going to have to figure out how to deal with it. At the very least we need to tell Ladybug what's happening." She looked sideways at her counterpart. "Does Chat Noir actually know you're gone this time," she chided, remembering Nooroo's last cycle day.

"Yes. He's been getting the memories, too, and isn't handling it well.."

"Same with Ladybug. Come on, the sooner we see her the sooner we can research what's going on."

* * *

Marinette was a little concerned when Plagg came back with Tikki.

"Is Chat Noir okay?"

"Tikki tells me that you and she have been reliving memories that aren't yours. Chat Noir and I have, too. He's a little freaked out."

"That makes two of us."

"Four," said Plagg.

"And it also happened to Nino and Alya earlier tonight. I had thought it might be from when we lost our memories during Oblivio."

"That's what I think, too," said Tikki. "It's like a repressed memory trying to surface, but the magic is mixing up who gets which memory."

"Is there anything we can do about it?"

"After speaking with Tikki, we don't think so. Maybe the Temple of the Guardians has an answer."

"Of course! I need to get hold of them anyway to tell them about what's been going on here. In the meantime, I guess we'll just have to hang on and integrate those returning memories."

"This may get stressful," Plagg said darkly.

* * *

School the next day was interesting, to say the least. None of the six beings had slept very well, as they were plagued with dreams. Though nobody remembered them, each of the six beings were left with an unsettled feeling.

Nino had grabbed an extra coffee on his way out the door, figuring that Alya would appreciate it. She seemed more than grateful for the caffeine boost.

"Thanks, babe," the normally chipper Ladyblogger gushed. "I'm really going to need this today."

"Didn't sleep well?"

"Not really. I kept thinking about what happened yesterday."

"Me, too. That was… weird, to say the least."

"You're telling me."

"You guys talking about your kiss yesterday," piped up another voice. Looking up, they saw the normally put-together, uber handsome-teen-supermodel-slash-heartthrob dragging himself over to them. Unusually, he was wearing dark sunglasses.

"You look like hell, Bro."

"Thanks, Nino. Way to build my self-confidence."

"Seriously, Adrien. What's up, man?"

"I didn't sleep well."

"Guess that makes three of us, then," Alya said as Adrien sipped on his own caffeinated beverage. Before long, they were nearly bowled over by Marinette.

"Running late again, girl?"

"Slept in. Sort of." Marinette looked at the others and stared at the coffees jealously. "I didn't have time to grab much of a breakfast. Today is going to draaaaag!"

"Here," Adrien said as he passed over his steaming cup. "You look like you could use a boost."

"What about you?"

"I'll survive," he said, yawning as he stretched every muscle he could, looking very cat-like. "I've worked before on less sleep than this."

"You are a godsend!" Marinette took a sip, then made a face. "You like it black, huh?"

"Model diet doesn't allow for much in the way of fats and sugars."

Marinette took another sip or two as the four best friends (and two hidden Kwamis) made their way into the school, then handed it back to the model.

"Thanks for the caffeine boost. I should be okay now."

Adrien swished the coffee around. "At least take half. You look like you need it more than me."

Marinette smiled. "If you insist. And thank you."

* * *

The rest of the school day went normally, at least until gym class. The students were partnered up and, per usual, Alya & Nino were a pair as were Adrien & Marinette. Each pair was waiting their turn to go next for mixed-doubles tennis. As always, the two Kwamis were in their respective holders' gym gear off to the side.

_Adrien was sitting against a column and saw himself sitting against another side. This had to be another of Ladybug's memories. He was worried because he'd just discovered that he was a superhero and had a supervilla_ _i_ _n after him, but had absolutely NO idea how to regain his powers._

" _If my own mother doesn't know that I'm Ladybug, then nobody must know." Yup. That proved it._

" _What about us? Do you think we know," Marinette asked herself in Chat Noir's voice._

_Adrien looked at his (Ladybug's) phone and saw one of his more popular modeling photos set as the phone's wallpaper. "I feel like we're m-more than just a superhero team."_

_Marinette looked at her (Chat Noir's) phone and pulled up the photo gallery. There were a million photos of Ladybug "Do you think we're…"_

_The two teens looked at each other. Then, as Adrien started to show his phone to … the other him, the memory faded._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_Nino looked at the floating cat-like creature. He may have lost his memory, but he knew what he had to do. Somehow he also knew that the cat-creature was planning on doing something stupid. Again. "You can't just leave, we have to help them!"_

" _We don't even know who we are or who they are," Alya retorted as she stared out of the window. "I don't wanna help out a couple of strangers."_

_Nino was indignant. He_ _flew_ _up a little_ _higher_ _for emphasis. "You may not remember who you are, but at least you know this about yourself. You're a selfish being and a total coward!" He floated_ _back down_ _and turned his back on the black cat_ _in a huff_ _._

" _Me? A coward?" Alya was indignant. She_ _sped around and_ _over to sit in the air right next to the red bug-like creature. "I am not a coward. I… I'm a free spirit. So don't come if you don't want to," she started as she_ _headed_ _toward the window, "but I'm outta here!" Then she flew out of the window, and the memory faded._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_Tikki and Plagg saw the world in a purple haze,_ _joined in thought as they rarely were in lif_ _e_ _. They opened the door and spoke with one voice._

" _Ladybug. Chat Noir." They looked around. "We know you're in here. You won't get away this time. You remember your BFF Oblivio, don't you? Don't tell us you've… forgotten us." Then they laughed evilly as they started throwing furniture around. It took a while, and there was no sign of the superheroes or their miraculouses._

_Suddenly a phone rang, so they ran toward it (they had legs!)_

" _Uh, uh. Gotcha. You shouldn't have 'forgotten' to switch off your phone."_

_However, by the time they got there, the phone was gone. All they saw was a post-it note with the drawing of a … donkey. And with an aggravated cry of, "Noooooo!" the memory faded._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

"Agreste! Cesaire! Dupain-Cheng! Lahiffe! If the four of you don't take this seriously, I'll have to mark you down for today," M D'Argincourt was livid. "The four of you normally at least participate instead of just standing around. And Ms. Cesaire, why did you just walk off the court in a huff?"

"Sorry, M D'Argincourt. It won't happen again," the teens apologized.

"See that it doesn't," the gym teacher said as he headed to coach other students.

To say the four teens were freaked out would be an understatement. Marinette looked at the others as they came toward center court.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Not really," said Alya. "I'm pretty certain now that these are Ladybug's and Chat Noir's memories. Right, Nino?"

Nino thought about it. The floating cat-creature had to have been Chat Noir's Kwami… but he couldn't say that as only a miraculous holder would know what a Kwami is. It's a good thing that both he and Alya were miraculous holders - at least part-time. "Definitely. Though I'm pretty sure I got part of Ladybug's memory this time."

"And I got part of Chat Noir's," Alya looked at him significantly, and Nino knew they'd have to talk about it later when they were alone.

"That's weird," said Adrien. "I'm pretty sure I had Ladybug's memory as well."

"I'm pretty sure I had Chat Noir's," piped up Marinette.

"Okay, this is freaking me out," said Alya. "Why would we be remembering things we never saw?"

"I don't know," she replied. "What I do know is that, from what I've seen, it's got something to do with Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Oblivio."

"What I don't get," replied Nino, "is why the two of you are getting the memories. I mean I get why Alya and I might – we were Oblivio. But you guys?"

Adrien and Marinette both blanched at that. "I don't know. Maybe it's because we're best friends and hanging out with you all the time?"

"Maybe, Adrien," said the Ladyblogger, unconvinced. "Regardless, this requires investigation."

"And how are you going to research weird, magical issues dealing with memory?" Marinette had no idea how she was going to get out of this one.

"I can't, which is extremely frustrating. But I can put a notice on the Ladyblog asking Ladybug to come talk to me."

"You think she'll have the answers as to why you're re-living their memories?"

"No, I don't. Not really. On the other hand, I do know that she has access to all the miraculouses we've seen so far (except Hawkmoth's and Mayura's), and that includes the horse miraculous. I also know that the Temple of the Guardians has been restored."

"Great idea, Alya," piped up Nino.

"I thought so. I'll do that as soon as class is over."

* * *

Tikki and Plagg encouraged their respective holders to transform as soon as possible so they could communicate.

Marinette decided that if she were going to consult the Temple of the Guardians for this, she wanted Chat Noir to come with her. As soon as she got home, she started preparing things, then transformed and called Chat Noir as she put them in the infinite storage area of her yo-yo.

Adrien wanted to talk with Ladybug about the visions and was impatient for all of his extracurricular activities to end so he could transform.

Nino and Alya just wanted to stay together as they waited for an answer from Ladybug. In the meantime, they tried working through this… whatever it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way this is going, this will probably be 4-5 chapters long. We'll see, shall we?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing for a trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, the first part of this chapter takes place before the last blurb of the previous one. I realized after I published it that I wanted a chat between Ladybug & Chat Noir before heading to the Temple of the Guardians.

**Chapter 3**

As soon as she got a chance. Marinette dashed into the girl's bathroom and transformed, checking the tracker. Soon enough, Chat Noir showed up. Interestingly enough, he was at the school as well.

Ladybug immediately made her way up to the roof and found Chat Noir waiting.

"How long have you been here?"

"About two seconds."

"So… Plagg tells me you're remembering as well?"

"Yeah, and they seem to be your memories." Chat said as he started pacing. "It's weirding me out."

"Me, too. But what's more concerning is that Alya, you know, the Ladyblogger, is also getting the memories along with her boyfriend Nino."

"Weren't they Oblivio together? If so, it could explain why they're involved in this."

"Yeah, but not why they're getting OUR memories. Tikki and Plagg are also affected."

"Now that I did not know. He didn't tell me."

"I think he only came to me because I'm the Guardian. That plus it's stressing him and Tikki out as well."

"So what do we do?"

"Take the horse Miraculous and travel to Tibet," Ladybug was calm about it - or at least appeared to be so. She looked Chat in the eyes. "This is beyond me and Tikki tells me it's beyond her, too. I don't think we have much of a choice."

"When do we go."

"Right after school, if we can. You're still in school, right? I'll be free by 16:00."

Wow! Chat thought. It must be serious if Ladybug is throwing out clues to her identity without thinking about it.

"I have a commitment until 18:00, but I'm free after that," Chat said, remembering the photoshoot scheduled for today. "I'll try to make it as short as possible."

"Since I seem to have a little more flexibility, where would be most convenient for you to meet up?"

"Patrol route 1 starting point."

"Gotcha. I'll prepare a few things. See you then, Kitty!" And with that, Ladybug took off, made her way back into the school, and headed back to class. Marinette was so absorbed in her plans that she didn't notice Adrien walk in a few minutes later.

* * *

The four friends were a little subdued as they left school that day, each in their own thoughts.

"Hey, guys, I'll let you know as soon as I receive a response from Ladybug. Okay?"

"Sounds good, Alya," Marinette replied halfheartedly.

"Forget that, Babe. I'm waiting with you. We can do homework together until then."

"Best. Boyfriend. Ever," grinned the Ladyblogger.

"I've got a photoshoot I've got to get to right now. Keep me posted, okay?"

"You bet, Sunshine. I'm sure Ladybug will figure this out."

Marinette just grimaced as she waved goodbye to her friends and headed home.

* * *

"What should I expect at the temple, Tikki?"

"Well, it's cold. So let's prepare the special transformation against cold weather."

"I don't really want to take the whole Miracle Box with me, but I don't want to leave it unguarded, either."

"You're the Guardian, Marinette. What do you feel is the best thing to do here?"

Marinette thought for a long time and had only one solution.

"Tikki, I know you've said that we can't reveal our identities to anyone. Even my parents."

"Yes, that's true."

"Does that change now that I"m the Guardian?"

"Well, technically you need to know who all of the Miraculous holders are. Including Chat Noir."

"That's a problem for another day."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I need help guarding the Miracle Box, and the best candidates live in the house."

Tikki hummed for a moment. "I see nothing wrong with it. Follow your instincts, Marinette. They will usually be correct."

With that, Marinette headed downstairs to where her mother was getting dinner ready.

"Mom, can I talk with you and Dad for a few minutes? It's important."

Sabine Cheng looked at her daughter. "Important as in 'dinner conversion' important, or as in 'stop what you're doing and chat' important?"

"As in it can't wait, and I'll need to pull Dad away from customers. And you'll probably want to be sitting down."

Sabine looked at her daughter and could tell how serious she was. Marinette didn't pull the 'pull Dad away from customers' card unless it was extremely serious. Without a word, she walked downstairs and got her husband, leaving the employees to man the counters and do kitchen clean-up.

As Tom Dupain came into the room, he looked at his daughter. "Your mother says this is serious. What's going on, honey?"

Marinette paced back and forth a little. This was a serious thing, and she didn't know how to start. She felt Tikki pat her side encouragingly.

"Mom, Dad, I…." she paused. "I don't know where to begin, actually."

"Honey, are you pregnant?" Sabine slapped her husband on his shoulder as Marinette's face went bright red and she replied "NO! Absolutely not. I don't even have a boyfriend."

"That's okay, honey. Just take it one thing at a time." Sabine's curiosity was aroused, but her maternal instincts outweighed that. Right now, her daughter needed her.

"Okay, okay." Marinette took a deep breath. "I suppose I'd better start at the beginning." She looked up at her parents. "I trust you both with my life, but what I'm about to tell you is something that you can't tell anybody."

"First off, I have a secret that I've kept from you." Her parents were shocked. Marinette may be a bit clumsy, but she was not really a liar. Though some of her excuses were pretty transparent. "Just know that I'd have told you sooner if I could."

"So, what is this secret, honey? What is so important about it that you weren't able to tell us."

"Um. I think it might be easier if I introduce you to somebody first. Tikki? Come on out."

Tikki flew up to eye level. "Nice to officially meet you M Dupain, Mme Cheng. My name is Tikki, and I am a Kwami."

"What… what are you?" asked Tom. "You sort of look like a combination of a bug and a mouse. But you fly. And talk." He sat down in one of the dining room chairs.

"Actually, when Marinette first saw me she called me a bug mouse," Tikki said affectionately as her holder blushed. "I had to reassure her that I meant no harm before she called your attention to me."

"You said you're a Kwami," said Sabine, outwardly calm. "What does a Kwami do?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "She grants me magical powers. Specifically, she's what powers my miraculous." Marinette highlighted her earrings. "Mom, Dad, I'm Ladybug. And I need your help."

After about 20 seconds of dead silence, which honestly felt more like two hours, Sabine said, "Well, that makes sense."

Tom stared at the women in his life like they'd grown extra heads. "What?"

"Think about it, Tom. She's never in the same place as Ladybug is, she's been nearby or targeted by Akumas frequently, and most of her class has been Akumatized. And let's face it, sweetheart, your excuses are pretty flimsy."

"How long have you known?"

"I didn't know for certain until you just told us. But I suspected." Sabine looked up at her daughter. "I'll be scared to death every time there is an Akuma now, even more than before. Good thing you have Chat Noir to protect you and help fight them."

"That reminds me. Dad, I need to apologize for the Weredad incident."

"Why?"

"I was never in love with Chat Noir. I only said I was because I was afraid he'd figured out my identity."

"And let's face it, Tom. You did get a little… overenthusiastic."

"Okay, okay. I get it," Tom smiled at his girls. "Now sweetheart, as much of a shock as this is for me and as proud as I am of you, I'm sure that there is a reason you need us to know your identity now."

"Absolutely. You see, there's more to this than just me being Ladybug. I'm also the Guardian of the Miraculous."

"The what?" both parents asked simultaneously.

"Guardian. It means I'm in charge of the rest of the Miraculous in Paris, as well as their Kwamis. I mean, Chat Noir has his Miraculous and Kwami full time - just like I do. But the rest of the heroes are given theirs temporarily. When they're not in use, I hold on to them."

"Wait. You became Guardian when you became Ladybug?"

"No. I didn't become a Guardian until after the previous Guardian left the Miracle Box to me. It was a heavy loss for Chat and me." Marinette took a breath to steady herself. "And that's why I need you to know. You see, Chat and I need to make a trip to the Temple of the Guardian in Tibet. We'll be using the Horse Miraculous to get there, but I don't want to leave the Miracle Box unguarded in the meantime. Will you watch it for me?"

"Of course we will, sweetheart," said Sabine. "When are you leaving?" No hesitation, no questions, just unconditional support. Marinette knew she was lucky to have the parents she did.

"As soon as I meet up with Chat at about 18:30. He had some personal commitments he couldn't get out of, or I'd have gone sooner. But there is no way I'm doing this without him."

"He's a good partner, huh?" Tom winked as Sabine once more affectionately slapped his shoulder. "Do you mind telling us what is going on that you need to leave for Tibet so suddenly?"

Marinette figured they ought to know. "Do you remember that Akuma at Montparnasse Tower that erased memories?"

"The one that saw you and Chat Noir kissing before the Miraculous Ladybug cure fixed everything?"

"Yes. Well, for some reason Chat Noir, me, and our two Kwamis are all starting to remember. What's weird about it is that we're not getting our own memories. Actually, Nino and Alya are getting them, too."

"Wait, wait. Nino and Alya are getting your memories?" Tom was beyond confused. "Why would they be involved?"

"They were Oblivio together."

"It's all messed up," piped in Tikki. "I'm getting some of Plagg's memories and I even remembered being Oblivio this last time."

"What?" Marinette was surprised at that one. "Okay, I'm freaking out even more now. We need to get to the Temple of the Guardians as soon as possible."

"Well," Sabine said. "No use going on an empty stomach. Let's hurry up and get dinner ready so you can meet Chat Noir and take care of business. Just be safe, okay honey? And be prepared for us to ask a ton of questions when you get home."

Tom called down to the staff to say that he'd be spending the rest of the day with family and to close up, then he and Sabine finished getting dinner ready while Marinette finished her preparations for the trip to Tibet. Dinner was a bit rushed because everyone felt that the sooner Marinette went to Tibet to get this straightened out, the better. Once done, Marinette called her transformation (in full view of her parents), hugged them, and left out her balcony door as per normal to go meet up with Chat Noir.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir meet the monks. Alya and Nino go on a trip.

**Chapter 4**

By the time Ladybug arrived promptly at 18:30, Chat Noir had already been there for a while.

"Been waiting long, Kitty?"

"About 15 minutes or so. I put forth all the effort I could in my ph… prior commitment so we ended up getting done early. Then I was able to sneak out after dinner."

"Okay, good." Ladybug seemed hesitant.

"What's up, Bugaboo? Other than our trip to Tibet?"

"Well, um… I …" she looked guilty. "I needed someone to look after the Miracle Box while we're gone, so I … ended up revealingmyidentitytomyparents."

Chat took a step back, stunned. "You… revealed your identity as Ladybug to your parents?" She nodded, looking down. "I always thought… that you'd reveal to me first."

"I did too, Kitty. And I'm sorry." She reached out to touch his shoulder. "This was an emergency, and it wasn't easy either. I'm just glad they understood. And that Tikki was there to help me." She chuckled a little. "I've been warned to expect a ton of questions when I get home."

"That's better than being ignored, I guess," Chat mumbled. Then he put on his model's smile. "I'm glad they took it so well." He gave a theatrical bow. "Shall we go, Milady?"

"First thing's first. Tikki said it's really cold there, so let's do our cold-weather power up before we leave," she said as she pulled out her box of magical Macarons. Chat followed suit and pulled out his tin of Camembert power-ups. After changing into the cold-weather transformation, Ladybug united Tikki and Kaalki and transported the pair to the Temple of the Guardians of the Miraculous in Tibet.

They expected the cold. What they didn't expect was to bang their faces against an invisible barrier 2 miles from the temple.

"Owww!" Chat rubbed his nose.

"Sorry, Chat," Ladybug replied, rubbing her own nose. "This is apparently as far close as we can get using the portal."

Chat Noir extended his staff. "No resistance." He walked forward. Discovering no barriers, he reached back for his partner. "Shall we?"

"I don't see anything to hook my yo-yo onto, so why not. And Chat?"

"Yes, Milady?"

"Thank you for coming with me." Chat just beamed at the praise while Ladybug divided Kaalki out of the transformation and stored the Horse Miraculous in her yo-yo's infinite storage area.

It took a while before the pair reached the temple gates, exhausted after pushing through all the snow. The doors opened as soon as Ladybug knocked on the doors.

The monk who answered bowed politely and spoke in Chinese, gesturing toward the interior. Ladybug looked confused, so Chat translated.

"He said 'Welcome to the Temple of the Guardians, holders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses. Please enter.'" And enter they did.

"Excuse me," said Ladybug. "Is there one among you that speaks French? I'd like to talk directly rather than have Chat Noir be a translator."

The guide appeared confused. Chat Noir translated. The guide's face, lighting up in understanding, called out to other monks, then spoke again to Chat.

"You're in luck, Milady. They have someone available."

The two were led deeper into the temple until they eventually were led to a table where three monks sat side-by-side. All wore simple robes. The man in the center looked older, and wore a long beard, and had his hair tied with leather ties. He gave off a Dumbledore-esque vibe.

"Greetings, Miraculous holders," the middle monk said in heavily-accented French. "I am Chung Sho-Li, Master of the Temple of the Guardians of the Miraculous. I am pleased to see that at least three miraculouses have survived."

"More than just three, Master Guardian," said Ladybug. "Master Fu held the Miracle Box and had all the miraculouses with him except the butterfly and peacock, which had been lost. Mine and Chat Noir's miraculous were assigned when Wayzz sensed the butterfly had been activated with a negative aura. Since then, Chat Noir and I have been fighting supervillains created by a corrupted user calling himself Hawkmoth."

"And where is Wang Fu now?" asked one of the monks to the side.

"He relinquished his title as Guardian and passed the box to me."

"This was done of his own free will?"

"Yes. It was done in the middle of a battle with Hawkmoth, though. His transformation was losing strength and, rather than let Hawkmoth gain the miraculouses, he named me Guardian and sacrificed his memory."

"Where is the Miracle Box now?" asked the third monk.

"Safe." The monks nodded.

"Why do you come now? Why not when you first gained the Miracle Box?"

Ladybug took a breath, then answered honestly. "In part because I was scared that you'd take Tikki away. I know that Master Fu didn't complete his training here at the temple."

"That is true. And he did make a rather large mistake, one that caused the temple ruin."

"The sentimonster he created ended up in Paris recently. We defeated it." Chat chipped in.

"That was several months ago. I must ask again… why visit us now?"

"Because something weird is happen…" Ladybug paused as she felt the oncoming memory. _Oh, no. Here we go again_ , she thought.

_Adrien was fighting on top of the Montparnasse tower alone and tripped on his yo-yo string._

" _You've forgotten your reflexes, huh?" said the strangely opaque supervillain. "Now we're going to make sure you forget everything else. Including your miraculous!"_

_The villain was suddenly hit in the head by a roll of packaging tape. Looking behind him, he saw what appeared to be a cardboard version of Chat Noir._

" _Attacking a lady on the ground," Marinette asked. "Did you forget your manners?"_

_Adrien nearly said his own name, then covered his mouth. The supervillain started firing at Marinette in the cardboard cat suit, so she started running away. Suddenly, Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around her waist and she went flying into Ladybug's embrace. They crouched behind cover._

" _So, can I be of any help in any way?" The two looked over at the flying cat creature._

" _Plagg?" asked Marinette._

" _Plagg? So that's my name, Plagg?" The creature seemed excited._

" _Yeah, and you got here just at the right time." Marinette stood up and …_

… found herself holding hands with Chat Noir and looking at the faces of the three monks.

"Where were you just now," asked Master Chung, concerned, and just a bit amused.

"Fighting a supervillain on top of Montparnasse Tower," Ladybug responded. "Only, I was Chat in a cardboard costume, as Plagg had run off."

"I had tripped over my, um… your yo-yo and you saved me by throwing a roll of packaging tape at Oblivio. Then I threw my, um… your yo-yo around you as Oblivio was chasing you. We hid behind a storage area on the roof…" he looked up at Ladybug.

"... until Plagg came back and I was just about to transform when the memory ended."

"Exactly!"

"Hmmm," the three monks conferred quietly for a moment. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few days. What really concerns me is what Tikki told me tonight." Ladybug looked at Chat as she said, "Tikki remembered being Oblivio."

"And Oblivio is the name of the supervillain you fought?"

"Yes."

"What were its powers?"

"Oblivio had the power to erase the memories of anyone they fired at. I say 'they' because Oblivio was comprised of two people."

"And you were both hit?"

"Yes. I remember Chat Noir being hit. I grabbed him and threw him into the elevator, then went in myself," Ladybug explained to the monks. "I was drawing on the elevator wall - a picture of a phone and a turtle symbol as a clue to call Master Fu - when I was hit. The next thing I knew I was on the roof of the building holding hands with Chat Noir and, um, cuddled up to his chest. At least until these memories started surfacing."

"The weird thing is, I'm remembering her memories, and she's remembering mine."

"Is there anything you can do? This is stressing us out. It's also stressing out Tikki and Plagg."

The monks examined the two superheroes for several minutes. "Are you the only ones affected?" Asked Master Chung.

"No, actually. The two who were Oblivio are also remembering. And their memories are mixed up with ours. Considering the memories I've had so far, I'm afraid that if this isn't resolved soon we'll end up revealing our identities to them."

"There is a way to fix this," said the senior monk, "but not as you are. You will need to bring the other two with you, as this cannot be sorted out unless all of the memories are present."

"You mean we'll need to bring Nino and Alya here?" Chat asked, then reiterated in Chinese to make certain.

"If those two are the people who became Oblivio, then you are correct."

"We'll go fetch them, then."

"One other thing," said the second monk, handing Ladybug a piece of paper. "Call first. That way we can allow you to portal through the barrier."

"Speaking of which, follow me." The third monk led them back through the corridors again. Near the front gates was a room decorated as a reception area. "Call the number we gave you from your weapon, then portal here."

"Can we also leave from here?"

"Yes. I've informed the gatekeeper to expect you. How long will it take you to retrieve the other two people?"

"Probably no longer than an hour." Ladybug said as she retrieved the Horse miraculous. She unified Tikki and Kaalki, then opened a portal to the alleyway behind Alya's apartment complex.

* * *

"Your aim is excellent as always, Milady," Chat Noir said as he looked at his surroundings and realized how close they were to Alya's. He also dropped his cold-weather transformation as he didn't need it anymore.

"Thank you, Chat." Ladybug once again separated Kaalki from the transformation and fed her. "And thank you Kaalki. I'm afraid I'll need to call on you one more time before we get this straightened out."

"I understand, Guardian." The little horse Kwami looked adorable munching on her apple.

Ladybug pulled up the Ladyblog, just to make sure that Alya had done as she said she would, and put out a call asking Ladybug to drop by. This gave Kaalki enough time to finish her snack. Then Ladybug dropped her own cold-weather transformation and put the Horse miraculous back in her yo-yo's storage area before the two superheroes made their way to Alya's.

It couldn't have been more than 30 seconds after Ladybug knocked that Alya's window opened. "Ladybug! I'm so glad you got my message."

"I did." Ladybug climbed in, Chat Noir entering afterward. "Oh good, I was hoping Nino would be here, too."

"Hey, dude! Uh, Ladybug. Chat Noir."

"Hi, Nino. Alya," Chat greeted.

"I saw on the Ladyblog that you needed to speak with me, and if it's about what I think it's about, then I'm glad you reached out."

"Yeah. Um, how do I say this," Alya actually seemed at a loss for words – a rare occasion. "You see, Nino and I have been experiencing what sounds like recovery of repressed memories. Only the memories aren't ours. They're yours."

"It's really freaking us out, Dude."

"I thought so. Chat Noir and I are experiencing the same thing, though I usually get his memories and he gets mine."

"Woah. Any idea why?"

"No, and I don't know how to fix it either. Fortunately, we know somebody who can. But it means we'll need to go on a little trip."

"A trip? To where?" Nino asked.

"The Temple of the Guardians of the Miraculous in Tibet," Chat answered.

"How long will we be gone? Can I get an interview with the monks for the Ladyblog? Are we traveling by the Horse miraculous?"

"Alya, calm down. Let's get permission from your parents first."

"I suppose that would be a good idea," she conceded. She then led the two superheroes out of her bedroom and into the living area. "Mom! Dad!"

"Yes, honey, what is… Ladybug! Chat Noir! What brings you here, another interview for my daughter's blog?"

"No, actually. We're going to need their help with something. I don't know how long it will take, but she'll be safe."

"You promise?"

"We prrromise," Chat Noir reassured. "We're going to Tibet, and Hawkmoth won't be able to reach us there. At least not without going the mundane route."

"We'll be traveling by a portal created by the miraculous," explained Ladybug.

"As much as I trust the Heroes of Paris, this is my little girl we're talking about."

"Moooom!" Alya whined. "I'm 16, I'm not a baby."

"Yes, and you keep putting yourself in danger trying to film those supervillains."

"And we keep telling her not to get so close," chimed in Ladybug as she stared at her best friend. "She doesn't listen. But she _WILL_ listen to me on this trip. Right?"

"Yes."

"So, what's the reason you're wanting to take my girl out of the country. Without a passport."

"Uh…it's a little personal." Ladybug looked at Chat Noir for support, then at Alya, who nodded. "You remember when she and Nino were akumatized into Oblivio?"

"Yes," Marlena replied a little confused.

"Well, those memories have started to resurface."

"Except that I've been getting Ladybug's memories, Mom. And Nino's been getting Chat Noir's memories."

"This could compromise our identities and put them in danger. I'm taking them to the Temple of the Guardians in Tibet so we can get this all straightened out."

"We don't know how long this is going to take."

"I see." Marlena Cesaire pondered for a moment. "You promise she'll be safe?"

"The monks are very cordial. And they are expecting us. I promise no physical harm will come to Alya or Nino."

Marlena looked at her second-oldest daughter. "You do _exactly_ what Ladybug and Chat Noir say, all right young lady?"

"Yes, Mom. Okay. I promise." Alya hugged her mother.

"Nino, what about you?"

"I texted my parents while you guys were talking. Not sure they believe me though."

"Call them on video chat."

Soon enough, Nino was set to go as well. "How soon are we leaving."

"As soon as you're ready. You'll want to grab a coat just in case. The inside of the temple is warm enough but there may be a breeze. And it's _freezing_ outside."

Ladybug went back into Alya's room and pulled out the horse miraculous, then unified Tikki and Kaalki. Coming back into the living room she asked, "All set?" Getting an affirmative, she called the temple and then opened the portal as the party waved goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the temple, Revelations, and a conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter longer than I had intended, but I believe it's worth it. I hope you do as well.

**Chapter 5**

The portal opened almost exactly on the same spot that Ladybug and Chat Noir had left earlier in the day, and the four teens stepped out.

"Wow," was all Nino could say. Alya just said nothing as she absorbed every last detail of the temple that she could get. Her smile was short-lived as the monk greeting them said something and then gestured to her phone.

"No photos or video allowed, Alya. Sorry," Chat translated. "He says you'll get the phone back just before we leave."

Alya pouted but did as instructed. The monk said something else in Chinese, smiled, and beckoned the four to follow him. Chat took the lead, and they were led into the same room as before.

"Hello again, Master Chung," Ladybug greeted the older monk, who was once more sitting in the center of the table's three seats. "May I introduce Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe. These are the two who were akumatized into Oblivio."

"Greetings," Master Chung Sho-Li replied in his heavily-accented French. "This is everyone who was affected, no?"

"Wait a minute!" Alya froze as she looked up at the superheroes. "What about Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste? They were seeing your memories as well."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot about Adrien having the memory." Ladybug was worried.

"Don't worry about Adrien, Milady. I know he'll be alright. I'm more worried about Marinette." Chat appeared confident.

"Marinette's fine, Kitty. I'm sure of that." She gave a worried look at Chat Noir. "Are you _sure_ Adrien will be okay? I mean this has been tough on all of us, and he's a civilian..."

"Miladybug, I am as sure that Adrien will be okay as I am sure that my superhero name is Chat Noir." He looked at her strangely. "Are you sure that Marinette is okay?"

Ladybug returned his look. "I'm as sure of that as you are about Adrien." Her subtle "I think" was only heard due to Chat's superior hearing while transformed.

"Are you sure they'll both be okay? I'm worried about them," Alya said.

"As worried as you all are, we only need those who were directly involved to make sure all the memories are accessible." Master Chung said, smirking at the four who had nearly forgotten his presence. "That means we'll need all six of you."

"Six?" four voices said simultaneously.

"Yes. Ladybug and Chat Noir, after what you told us earlier, we've determined we need Tikki and Plagg as well as the four of you."

"Wait, does this mean I'll finally discover the girl underneath the mask?" Chat Noir was excited, though Ladybug was more nervous.

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh ohmygoshohmygosh oh my gosh! I'll finally get to know the identities of the heroes?" Alya practically squealed.

"Considering the memories we've seen, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already." Ladybug replied to Alya but looked into Chat Noir's eyes. "I'll be honest, Kitty. I'm a little scared. I've always felt inadequate beneath the mask."

"We can actually do this while blindfolding the two civilians if we need to. That part is up to you, Ladybug and Chat Noir. As for revealing yourselves to each other… that depends. How long have you been fighting this Hawkmoth together?"

"Over a year, right Bugaboo?"

"Uh, DON'T call me Bugaboo! But you're right. At least a year."

"And what are your feelings toward each other. We need you to be completely honest, with yourself and with each other," one of the other monks said.

"It's no secret that I love Ladybug," Chat had no problem admitting his feelings. He looked at Ladybug with a serious expression. "Milady, I've loved you since you stood up to Hawkmoth during Stoneheart.." He reached out to take her hand and look her in the eye. "I know you were scared, and I know we'd messed up the first time. But you faced the challenge and stood up to Hawkmoth anyway. From that moment on, my heart was yours and I vowed that whoever you were under the mask that I'd love you."

"You said before that you loved me. Until that rooftop setup you did before Glaciator, I didn't know how much. You are my best friend, Chat. I trust you with my life and more. I've even found myself wondering if I could trust you with my heart." She looked into his eyes. "And I'm sorry. Like I told you on that rooftop, I'm in love with someone else."

"Wait, he created a romantic rooftop rendezvous for you?" Alya practically squealed.

"Alya! They need to work this out on their own." Ever the protector, Nino tried pulling his girlfriend aside to give the superheroes some space.

"No way! This is juicy stuff."

"It's their personal life."

"Well something is obviously there, or there never would have been that rooftop kiss at the end of Oblivio." She turned to the costumed teens. "It only goes to prove that _something_ happened while you didn't have your memories."

"I keep telling myself the same thing," Chat said. "I figure that if I got her to fall in love with me while our memories were gone, then I have a chance with our memories intact. Please, Milady. Tell me I have a chance?"

"I do like you, Chat," Ladybug admitted, "but nothing could happen between us unless I completely forgot about Adrien!" Ladybug went red in the face as she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Chat Noir went pale. "Adrien? The boy you love… his name is Adrien?"

Ladybug looked sheepish as she blushed as red as her supersuit. "Yes. But I can't piece two words in his presence without tripping over my tongue. And my feet. I told you the first time we met that I was madly clumsy."

Alya had listened to this exchange and was silent for a full minute as she stared at Ladybug, the pieces finally fitting together. Then she laughed. "Oh, my god. Oh. My. God. This makes so much sense!" She couldn't help belly-laughing. "No wonder you always… and then… Oh my god. No wonder you said that if you were Ladybug you wouldn't even tell me, because you are! And then… that's how you knew Lila was lying! Ohmygod..."

"Shut up, Rena!"

"Wait. Alya is Rena Rouge?" Chat stared at Alya.

Alya stopped laughing and blushed instead. "Yup. I still think that you were a naughty kitty for trying to find out my identity. Too late now, I guess."

"I guess so… wait. I know that Rena Rouge has a thing for Carapace. But if Rena is you, Alya…" Chat Noir looked over at Nino. "Carapace?"

"Uh, why would I be a superhero, dude?" Nino tried deflecting, but his face gave him away. After Chat stared at him a bit, he admitted, "Yeah, I'm Carapace."

"Okay, fine. I give up. I need to let Chat know anyway, and Alya is my best girlfriend, so screw it. Spots off!" Marinette detransformed in front of the others. Then she looked sheepishly at Chat Noir. "I told you that Marinette was fine, didn't I."

"Marinette?" Chat was stunned for just a moment. Then he smiled. "Of course it's you, our Everyday Ladybug. Why wouldn't it be."

"Chat?"

"Wait. You said you love Adrien." His eyes went wide. "You love Adrien Agreste? Why?"

"Oh, Kitty. I really don't want to hurt you. Can you promise me you won't be jealous?"

"I can't be. I mean I'm not. But please, tell me why you love Adrien." Chat seemed to have a desperate sound to his voice. "I mean, he's a famous model, he's rich, and is considered handsome. Is that it?" He sounded disappointed.

"Please let this go, Kitty. It's embarrassing enough as it is."

"It's important. _Please_ , Milady. Tell me why you're in love with Adrien." Chat used the most devastating weapon in his arsenal.

 _Not the kitty eyes! Ugh!_ "Okay," Marinette took a steadying breath. "Okay. The first day I met him, I actually thought he was like Chloe – stuck up, full of himself, etc. But I was wrong. I accused him of putting gum on my seat, but it turns out he was only trying to take it off. At the end of school that day, it was raining and I was waiting at the entrance. He reached out to me, told me the truth, and admitted that he was new to public school and had never had any real friends before. He handed me his umbrella, and then it closed on me. He let out a genuine laugh, one that reached his eyes. Oh, that laugh. It was like sunshine had broken through the clouds and shone just on us. I had caught a glimpse of the person beneath the mask of Gabriel's 'perfect son', his kindness, his vulnerability, just… him. _That's_ the boy I fell in love with."

She looked up at Chat Noir. "I know that he wears a mask every day, just like I wear one when I'm Ladybug. That can't be easy, and I just want to be there for him however I can. But I keep tripping over myself every time I try to let him know how I feel, both literally and figuratively." Tears began pooling in her eyes. "If only I could talk to him as easily as I talk to you, Chat. Then I'd really be able to be there for him. And we could get to know each other better. But I also know that he'll only ever see me as a friend. He told me so when he apologized for pranking me at the Grevin Wax Museum." She sniffled. "But I can't help it, Chat. The heart wants what it wants."

With tears brimming in his eyes, Chat Noir gently took Marinette's hand in his own. "Oh, Marinette. Milady. You have been there for Adrien more than you know. You _can_ talk to him like you talk to me. And the girl he loves? That has always been you. I just didn't know it until now." Marinette was confused for a moment until she heard "Claws off!" Before her eyes stood her crush, still holding her hand. Marinette gasped, then blushed. "I'm sorry I was so blind that I didn't recognize the girl behind the mask even though she sat behind me. Though now that I think about it, maybe I did. You've always held a special place in my heart, Marinette. I think I was just too blinded by the spots."

"And I was too blinded by the golden-haired boy in front of me to give my Kitty a chance." She reached out to him but was interrupted.

"Great. Now that that's over, maybe he'll quit agonizing over which pig-tailed girl he loves more. Ugh!"

"Plagg! Leave them alone," Tikki swiped at her counterpart. "They need to figure this out themselves."

"I just can't believe that my two favorite 'ships were actually the same one!" Alya beamed, then frowned as she remembered she couldn't record any of this.

"Yes, yes. Now that that's out of the way, will the six of you come this way please?" Master Chung led them to a smaller chamber just off of the larger room they were in and asked them to sit on the available cushions. There was a gentle incense burning that helped lend a calm feeling to the room.

"Sit and relax," Master Chung said, guiding them through a meditation designed to bring the memories forward. "Think of nothing, just embrace the warmth of the room and of each other."

Three couples held each other close and reached out toward one another, physically and emotionally. They let their minds drift, and started thinking about their feelings for one another. Six beings (four teenagers and two Kwamis) started thinking about the same thing at the same time.

"Relax," said the priests in voices that sounded far away. "You are all safe here. Let the memories come. Embrace it, even if it does not appear to be yours. Let the memories ebb and flow as they will. They will sort themselves. Breathe in, breathe out. In… out…" the voices continued to fade. Soon, they felt another memory coming on and welcomed it.

_Nino and Alya were in the closet playing_ Super Penguino _. They had just put the tablet down enough to start making out when the door opened, and Ms. Bustier caught them. The embarrassment at being caught was mortifying. If only everyone would forget that they saw them!_

" _Oblivio, I am Hawkmoth. I'll give you the power to make everyone forget. I only ask one thing in return. Get me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses."_

" _Yes, Hawkmoth."_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_The dark-haired, blue-eyed girl and the blond-haired, green-eyed boy were in the elevator, each holding a strange creature. The red one the girl held giggled after she tickled it and the black one was sniffing the boy's shirt._

" _Okay, everyone, we're going to keep our cool here," the boy said as he stood up and walked toward the elevator doors. We've all lost our memories and we don't know why, but we'll fi…"_

_He was interrupted as the elevator dropped a bit, then the ceiling caved in a little – almost as if it was hit._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_They arrived in the lobby, which was trashed beyond hope._

" _The exit is blocked," the boy said._

" _We're going to have to find another way out," the girl replied._

_Suddenly they heard a noise behind them._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_They were in a bathroom, trying to figure out why something was after them. The black cat-like one flew into the boy's field of vision._

" _Excuse me, but the 'creatures' are hungry. Would you mind opening up your shirt to see what smells so good?"_

_The boy did just that and pulled out a wedge of cheese. "Camembert?"_

_The black creature gasped, snatched it out of the boy's hand, and said "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" before swallowing it in one gulp._

_The little red one's tummy rumbled, so the girl looked in her purse. She found a macaron and offered it to the creature. "Will this do?"_

" _Mmm, thank you."_

_The girl looked in her purse again and found her ID card. "Marinette! My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."_

_The boy did a gentlemanly bow, saying, "Pleased to meet you, Marinette." He then pulled out his own ID. "Adrien Agreste."_

_Marinette mimed a curtsy and replied, "Super nice to meet you, too, Adrien."_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_The two teens had just figured out how to unlock their phones and called their parents. Gabriel was not available, but Marinette was able to call her mother. Sabine was worried about her daughter._

" _They're saying that Ladybug and Chat Noir are battling a supervillain at Montparnasse Tower! Isn't that where you were going on your school trip today?"_

_As Sabine was talking, Marinette noticed a poster and walked toward it. "Chat Noir and Ladybug?"_

" _Marinette, is everything okay? Where are you?"_

" _Sure, Mom. Everything's okay. I'm with my friend. Safe. Don't worry."_

_Hearing this, Adrien gestured his surprise that she wasn't asking for help."_

" _I'm so relieved. Whatever you do, stay there until the supervillain's been defeated."_

" _Sure, Mom. I will. Love you!" And with that, Marinette hung up the phone._

" _Why didn't you ask her for help?" Adrien asked._

" _I have both good news, and bad news," Marinette said. "The good news is that there are superheroes in the tower that will stop that supervillain. The bad news is that we're the superheroes. And that thing that's chasing us is a supervillain. And we're supposed to be defeating it with superpowers that we no longer have!"_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_Adrien and Marinette were sitting against a pillar, having just shown their phones to each other._

" _We must have told each other everything," Adrien commented. "I couldn't hide my identity from the girl I love."_

_Marinette stared into his gorgeous, dreamy eyes for a moment before turning back._

" _So, if we're the superheroes, then what are they?" She gestured toward the window where the two strange flying creatures were._

" _I have no idea."_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_The black cat-like creature was flying around Paris._

" _A coward? Me? What-ever!"_

_Then he spotted a billboard ad for Adrien, the Fragrance._

" _Adrien?" He flew away, fast._

" _I may not remember my own name, but I know for a fact that I'm brave!" He ran right into another billboard. He looked around, and everywhere he looked… Adrien's face on a billboard, a poster, at the entrance to the underground, on the walkways._

_He looked toward the tower. "This is called psychological harassment!"_

_Before long, he noticed the field of purple energy gathering above Montparnasse Tower. Then he remembered the red being's words…_

" _You're a selfish being and a total coward!"_

" _I am not a coward and I'm not selfish either," he said as he turned away from the tower. "But… maybe this Adrien boy has some yummy Camembert left." Then he turned toward the tower once more._

_Somehow, he knew he was just using the Camembert as an excuse._

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

 _Marinette and Adrien had just finished talking to Master Fu, who had given them the Kwamis names (_ that's _what the creatures were!) and how to transform. They heard the supervillain on the roof._

" _Ladybug! Chat Noir! If you don't come out of hiding and give us your miraculous, this giant bubble's going to erase the memories of every single person in Paris!"_

" _It's time to bring Ladybug back. Tikki, spots on!" Marinette went through her transformation._

" _Wow, that was amazing!"_

" _Thanks, but I don't feel like a superhero at all."_

" _You've already proven that you are one. With or without a costume."_

_It took a few false starts after opening her yo-yo and reading the user's guide – as well as accidentally summoning her Lucky Charm – but Ladybug was finally ready to go._

" _Marinette, I want to fight beside you. If we're a couple then we'll be stronger together."_

" _But you don't have your Kwami or your superpowers. And without your costume, the villain would know your true identity."_

_Adrien looked disappointed as he thought about this. Then Ladybug took his hand and said something that just made his heart melt. "But most of all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'm starting to understand how much you mean to me, Adrien." Then she kissed him on the cheek before she walked away. "Please, stay there."_

_Adrien touched his cheek where she had kissed him. "Woah. I don't need any memory to know that I love that girl."_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_They were hiding on the roof, Ladybug and the cardboard Chat, when the black Kwami flew up to them._

" _So, can I be of any help in any way?"_

" _Plagg?"_

" _Plagg? So that's my name, Plagg?"_

" _Yeah, and you got here just at the right time," Adrien said as he stood up. "Plagg, claws out!" Adrien went through his own transformation. "Hey, pretty cool, right?"_

" _Very cool, but try not to lose your memory again."_

_Ladybug and Chat Noir proceeded to fight, and Ladybug even reminded Chat Noir not to say the name of his special power unless he wanted to trigger it. Unfortunately, the fight wasn't going well. Chat hid behind Ladybug, who was spinning her yo-yo as a shield._

" _We won't stand a chance until we stop him from firing at us."_

" _Of course! His left hand is different from the rest of his body. That must be where the akuma is hiding."_

" _Okay. I've got no idea what the Hakuna Matata is, but I trust you. So what's the plan?"_

_Ladybug looked around, a plan coming to mind. "Can you get him to forget about me for a little while?"_

_So Chat Noir did what he did best, and distracted the supervillain while Ladybug placed the teapot her Lucky Charm created on Oblivio's right hand. Then Chat was able to "Cataclysm!" the right hand's covering. The akuma butterfly was released, caught, and purified. Then the supervillain detransformed into two people._

" _What do we do about that," Chat Noir asked as he looked up that the giant bubble of forgetfulness._

" _This is where my other power comes in. It fixes everything back to how it was originally."_

" _Wait," Chat said as he grabbed Ladybug's forearm. "Do you think we'll remember all this… afterwards?"_

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

_Alya had just snapped the photo of the infamous Ladybug and Chat Noir kiss on top of Montparnasse Tower when they broke apart and Ladybug cast her Miraculous Ladybug cure. As their memories returned, Ladybug jumped out of Chat's embrace._

" _Ladybug? Chat Noir?"_

" _Guys, you haven't seen a supervillain named Oblivio, have you," Chat asked Nino and Alya._

" _You defeated it already, dude."_

" _Actually, he was… us" Alya told the confused heroes._

_In tandem, the Heroes of Paris said, "Oh, okay. Pound it?" then did their traditional fist bump._

The six beings came to themselves at last. They were still sitting on the comfortable cushions, breathing in the relaxing incense while the monks chanted softly around them, each couple giving comfort to themselves and the others in the circle.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Adrien said as he looked at Marinette. "I knew we were made for each other."

"For once, I agree with you, Kitty," she sighed as she looked back at him. "Though it may take me a while to reconcile the two images of you that I have in my mind. I'm just not used to Adrien Agreste saying silly cat puns."

"The more I think about it, the less I can separate Marinette from Ladybug. You've always stood up for what is right."

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. Right, Alya?"

"Right, girl."

The monks came over to the teens as Tikki and Plagg flew up. "The magic causing the memory recall and switch seems to have settled. How are you feeling, Plagg? Tikki?"

"Hungry! Is there any Camembert?"

Adrien laughed. "He's back to normal."

"I'm better as well, thank you, Master," Tikki replied.

"I'm glad to hear that." Master Chung addressed the teens. "Everything should settle down now. I'd say it would go back to how it was before, but that's not quite right. After all, you all know each others' secret identities. You'll need to be careful about that supervillain of yours, Hawkmoth."

Marinette was slowly standing up, hesitant to ask her question. But she needed to know. "Master Chung?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"About the Miracle Box and our miraculouses…" she slowly looked up into the face of the man in charge of the whole temple, the place where Master Fu studied as a child. "Am I still the guardian of the Miracle Box? And I don't want to give up Tikki. I just found out that my crush and my partner are the same person, and while I am still wrapping my head around that one, in my heart I couldn't think of a better person to be my partner. I mean I did offer him the snake miraculous once, though that didn't work out. Oh, wow, now I know why, and I bet Plagg wasn't happy about that. But I'm worried. I mean there is just so much to learn, and so much responsibility. And I know that Master Fu didn't complete his training here. He taught me what he could, though, and even if I wasn't ready to take the responsibility at the time I take it seriously. What I meant to say is… please don't take Tikki or Chat Noir away from me."

"Marinette, I'm not going to take Tikki from you. Or Plagg from Adrien."

"You're not?"

"No." Master Chung looked both Marinette and Adrien in the eyes. "The circumstances in which Tikki and Plagg were activated are unusual. You've basically had a trial by fire. That is no easy task, and from what I've seen you have both done very well. Wang Fu sent us word as soon as the temple was restored, and included both the reason he activated the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses as well as why he chose you."

Marinette breathed a little easier at that and squeezed Adrien's hand.

"You still have a lot to learn, and we'll probably be sending you some help for training. We'll contact you."

"Master, I'm concerned about one other thing." She looked at Adrien. "I don't want to lose my memories at all. And I don't think I can do this alone. Is it possible to name a co-guardian?"

"Yes."

"Adrien, would you be co-guardian with me? You are my Kitty, my protector, and I know I cannot be Ladybug without you."

"Always. You and me against the world, right?"

"Right." She held out her fist for a fist bump. "Pound it?"

"Pound it."

"Additionally, with schoolwork getting harder and with Hawkmoth still sending out Akuma, I'm going to need a core of permanent superheroes. Is that possible as well, Master?"

"Marinette, for the most part, the rules are 'your box, your rules'. So follow your instincts. If you feel you need a permanent core of heroes, then choose them."

"Alya, Nino, as soon as we get home, I want to give you your miraculouses permanently. Will you use them for the greater good and not for personal gain (trust me, that never works)? Will you help Adrien and me to find and defeat Hawkmoth? Will you help us cover when we need to face a supervillain? And most of all, will you still be our best friends?"

Alya was tearing. "Yes, Guardian. Thank you for your trust in me."

"Guardian, I will shield you all to the best of my ability." Nino was smiling.

Marinette hugged her friends. "Let's go home, guys."

Adrien and Marinette called their transformations and they left via the Horse miraculous power Voyage and landed in Alya's living room. Although it seemed forever since they'd been here, it couldn't have been more than a few hours."

"Mom! We're back."

"Hey, Alya. Flyweight. Ladybug. Mr. Whiskers." Nora greeted each visitor in turn.

"Hi, Nora." Alya yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's about 22:00, Alya," said her mother. "And with you yawning like that, I'm thinking it's time for bed." She looked at the group. "Did everything go okay?"

"It appears so," Ladybug answered. "It will take time to be sure. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her and Nino."

"In the meantime, this Kitty has to head home to curl up in his basket," Chat Noir said as he stretched. "Shall we, Milady?"

"We shall." They headed toward Alya's bedroom window.

Before the heroes left, they gave their best friends a hug. "See you tomorrow?"

"Can't wait."

Alya snickered.

"What?"

"I can't wait to see Chloe's and Lila's faces tomorrow when they see the SS Adrienette has sailed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, my lovelies. The conclusion! I hope you enjoyed this story. As always I appreciate all constructive criticism, so comment away!


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